Take 5
by Juvia Loxar
Summary: For alenachan's challenge: 5 prompts, 5 stories.
1. Piece of Cake

**This fic's gonna have 5 chapters, by the way…For alena-chan's challenge, I'm gonna use the five lines in each chapter…And I can certainly say I'm proud of this one…**

**So alena, this one's for you…**

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**Chapter 1: Piece of Cake**

"_**Love is like chocolate!**_

_**You just can't get enough of it!"**_

"We've got another one!"

The deep bass of the oldest Titan rung throughout the main room of the team's tower, eager to assert the coming of the most recent addition of the array of cakes, pastries, and baked delicacies sent by the city, and not to mention, the fans of the teen heroes.

"What is it this time?" The resident glower child found herself mouthing the words her mind brewed up; the questions racing around in her head conjured since the arrival of the fourteenth cake three hours ago.

"A chocolate cake…And oh, wait, this one's got a card," Cyborg replied perkily, as if the devotion to the Teen Titans weren't symbolized by the rottenness of teeth…All the while walking to the breakfast counter, "From the Boy Wonder Fan Club…We love you, and you're like, totally hot…To Robin."

"You rang?" Instinctively enough, a voice surfaced from the end of the large semi-circle couch, just behind where Raven was. And to Cyborg, it was just plain amusing that Robin's head peered from where the dark girl was, as if his leader was there all along, reading from the sorceress' book with her.

Though the dark-skinned male was startled by Robin's little act of 'appearing out of thin air,' he wasn't all that surprised that Raven didn't even move a muscle…and she was the one the masked boy was trying to scare.

"Nah…your girlfriends sent another present…" Cyborg voiced, still fixing his eyes on the birds. Funny enough, they seem to be the ones who understand each other the most, yet they can seem aloof to each other sometimes.

Sometimes…

"What are they trying to do? Fatten him up until he can't fit inside their oven?" Raven droned, never even bothering to look up from her latest novel being held by one hand, while the other was folded across the inside of her cloak – the book looked rather large and thick, but untitled…And the cybernetic teen guessed it was a classic from an antique store.

"Puh-leeze. I'm too hot for them to handle." Robin countered, walking his way towards the front of the couch, where Raven was, then pushed her book down so they could meet vis-à-vis.

"I stand corrected. Your head's too big to even fit in their oven."

"Jealous much?"

"Yes….green with envy that I don't get to be obese eating all the cakes and muffins ditzy bimbos sent just for me."

"Keep wishing, as if you're gonna eat all the food some perverted stalkers sent you."

And with that, Cyborg decided to just step out of the room, not like he would even live to see the victor of the supposed battle of wits. Those two are just too damn smart for their own good.

Of course, this did not go unnoticed, as the part-robot left trails of mutters apparently annoyed at their childish play, which caused both birds to go about their ways.

The Boy Wonder walked over to the breakfast nook, eager to count the cakes just sent for him. Hey, he needed something to tease Raven with, and the exact number of his thoughtful fan girls was enough to rub it in her face.

A jealous Raven was just as much of a turn-on than a Raven playing hard-to-get.

And he grinned, thinking of another idea.

A better idea.

The violet-haired vixen's fondness of chocolate would eventually bring her to her knees and the thought of a chocoholic plus the craving of a piece of cake from her supposed 'rivals' equals pure unadulterated taming of the one they call feisty.

Raven peered from the top of the yellow-paged book, expecting a full-force attack from Robin. He's been there long enough, standing his back towards her, and she was almost sure that he was practically cackling to himself while concocting another one of his Get-back-at-Raven pranks.

The enchantress was so deep in thought she almost jumped in her seat as weight plopped down on the couch beside her, only to find that it was the Boy Wonder himself.

"What are you smiling at?" She narrowed her eyes into slits, setting down the book on the arm rest, and then turned to face him, folding her arms across her chest.

"Oh nothing," the caped crusader chuckled lightly, holding up the box just high enough for her to see the half-eaten cake inside, "Just enjoying all the almonds, the fudge, and the chocolate."

He said the last word with so much emphasis that her eyes drifted down to the direction of the fork held by a green gauntlet. The frosted richness of brown sliding across crumbles of soft baked dough, brittle enough to fall into towers of delightful caramel lining the edges was mouthwatering enough for her lips to lick themselves to her own accord.

The masked boy leaned back casually, crossing his legs. "Hmmm…You know, for 'ditzy bimbos' they sure could bake pretty well." He stressed with his mouth full.

And his companion was too distracted to even retort with a witty remark.

He has right where he wants her, and he took this opportunity for another monologue.

"Never knew chocolate could taste so good…

"I feel sorry for anybody who didn't have the chance to eat this cake that I have all to myself…

"There's this saying that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach…"

Raven was back to her senses hearing the last line. She turned her eyes away from the temptation of creamy chocolate goodness, all the while replying nonchalantly "Yeah? You're not a man…"

"Why? Wanna see how much of a man I am?"

"I don't think I won't be seeing that much…"

"Other girls would kill to..."

"Playboy much?"

Robin leaned in closer…making sure to maintain eye contact with those amethyst orbs. "All is fair in love and war…"

Needless to say the thought of him actually giving in to the idea that girls more or less her age were throwing themselves at his feet, worshipping the ground he walks on was pushing her buttons.

And she kept on seeing to it that the excuse was that Robin was considering taking on the rock star sham of hitting on sluttish groupies, and not the fact that she didn't want to share…

"Share what?" Raven muttered the thought a little bit too loud for her friend to hear.

"Excuse me?"

"Why are you so intent finding love all of a sudden?"

"Why are you so intent on finding out?"

"…"

Deciding to change the subject to put the dark girl again in her place of craving the cursed cake from the Boy Wonder Fan Club, he pulled out a plate from his side of the couch, which he brought along with him as part of the plan.

"Because, my dear sweet Raven…" He murmured softly, audible enough for her to hear, gazing into her eyes.

"Love is like chocolate! You just can't get enough of it!"

She almost squealed when she deliberately shouted at her face like a madman, shoving in front of her half of the remaining piece on the plate. Raven considered skinning him alive, yet her features softened at the double meaning behind his words.

She smiled warmly, nodding a small "Thank You," while gently poking the cake with her fork.

"Hey…That's my piece! I must have given it to you by mistake!"

"You mean the bigger, chunkier, and creamier one?" She broke in short laughter, then standing up, she took a bite.

"No fair!"

"You're right…It wouldn't be fair for me to deprive myself of my slice. I don't think I should share…"

Her smirk was short-lived as a lump in the carpet caused her to trip. The half-demon's reflexes saved her from an embarrassing fall, but not the cake.

Robin's snickers filled her ears as she looked upon the remains of the cake surrounded by dust bunnies. She watched him walk towards her, bobbing his head in a cocky manner, wearing a bigger and cheesier grin than usual.

Then he decided to tease her by licking his fork, letting his tongue gather as much chocolate as he can, while making those noises enough to drive her insane with jealousy.

What he didn't see coming was her hand throwing off his plate, and now, he too was soon looking at the mess on the carpet…and at the smirk on her face.

Refusing to admit defeat, he reached onto the floor, grabbed a chunk of the fallen chocolate, and threw it at her face.

Immediately he burst in fits of laughter, too distracted to see a black tendril push his face down towards the mess.

And after a few hurls here and there, Raven's powers eventually reached over to the counter, where dozens of pastries sat innocently, and threw a barrage of pies over to her leader.

Having been hit, he ran over behind the nook and used it as a shield and fired his grappling hook towards her, the rope tying itself around the girl.

And he threw all what he can at her, and on his twelfth hit a dome covered itself around her, returning the food towards him.

As a spontaneous effect, Robin lunged towards her, tackling the enchantress to the ground. Raven, on the other hand, teasingly licked the side of his face in an attempt to divert his attention so she could flip him on his back.

He groaned, pleasure brought about by her tongue on his cheek, more so when he leaned lower enough for her to lick accidentally his earlobe. And the next thing he knew she was straddling his hips.

The violet-haired vixen looked around the room, at him, and then at herself. Now noticing the mess they made, she let go of his wrists, all the while brushing off icing and splotches of fruitcake on her cloak.

Raven looked down on Batman's former sidekick, wiping the glazing of cakes, pastries, and pudding with her now clean sleeve. "Still can't get enough of chocolate?" She managed to rasp out, and the lump in her throat suggested a sultry tone instead of her intended exhausted one.

"Just love…" Robin purred before pulling her down, pressing his lips hard against hers.

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**Whaddya guys think? Chapter 2 will be posted soon…**

**ALL RAEROB FANS PLEASE CHECK OUT MY PROFILE! THERE'S A SURPRISE IN STORE FOR Y'ALL OUT THERE! **

**Well, anyway, just tell me what you think…**

**God bless,**

**Kiki**


	2. Weep Not, Mother Nature

**Sorry for the long wait. School's being the bitch that she is again. Well, here ya go. The second chapter for alena-chan's challenge, to whom I dedicate this to.**

**I'm feeling angsty right now, so I'm gonna write my first somewhat angsty fic.**

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**Chapter 2: Weep Not, Mother Nature**

"_**A hero doesn't cry!"**_

Dark clouds rolled in from the distance, blotting out the stars from view. A solitary vein streaked ghostly white across the ebony sky, just as deep percussion boomed into the horizon.

Mother Nature cried, and her tears tapped against a thin sheet of glass that separated the rest of the world safe within its four walls from her howling winds.

Yes, we are in our beds, safely tucked into the ocean of our sheets. Night awaits us as we drift off to the realm of Morpheus. Yet someone among us is not.

And his figure stood beside a window overlooking our city's view. Though very much awake, one could easily mistake him for a phantom.

Let us come a little closer then, and we can hear whispers vaguely audible to hear –

Sweet nothings for an unknown lover, maybe?

Or the makings of a deranged psychopath unconsciously revealing his innermost desires?

Perhaps that person could give us the answer…

Yes, the one whose face is concealed by a hood, approaching him.

Could you feel the aura of intimidating composure brought about by him?

Wait…let us shorten the distance…he muttered something, yet his companion neither replied nor made a move.

He pulled the pan of blue cloth away…Oh my, we should have noticed the maturity of her womanly body…It was a she after all…

He acknowledged her presence and murmured a name.

Raven? Ah yes, Raven. Such an exotic name. Truly fitting for a beauty like hers – possibly a darker and more mysterious adaptation of the goddess Aphrodite.

Can you not see the angular face framed by luscious locks of mauve? Ivory skin as pale as the round ghostly ship that passes your window every night before you turn off the glow of a yellow bulb? Alluring pools of amethyst that showed each and every emotion void of her features?

Yes, let us come closer. Do you not wish to know the identity of the man beside Raven?

Hush…she speaks…

"Where were you?"

Silence.

She…Raven tried again.

Silence once more.

It was certainly agreeable among us that he was trying to avoid her apathy. If only he knew how foolish that would be. This Raven does not seem like somebody who wears her heart on her sleeve.

Yet he does not heed her. His gaze was kept fixed onto the shimmering curtains of rain outside.

Boom!

What was that?

Boom!

Thunder…

They were both fearless indeed. Lightning reared its whiteness once more – have you caught a glance at him?

His choice of clothing was very intriguing…compared to that of the female beside him…it was…bright.

Did his clothes remind you of what was that called? The signal that uses red, green, and amber lights to control traffic?

That was not significant right now, look. She furiously cupped his chin and pulled him towards her.

"Robin. Where. Were. You?"

And Robin was his name…but it was not believable, yes?

His mask…we're very certain it was hiding something not even she could know…

Eyes so beautiful must not be hidden.

On the other hand, an almost tangible tension was rearing its ugly head.

Her voice…it sends shivers up and down your spine, does it not?

He would be even more of a bigger fool than he was if he did not respond to such a –

"I. Was. On. Patrol."

He likewise answered with the same dripping venom from his words, and he reflected the seething stare Raven had.

She refused to surrender.

"Looking for another stupid way to get yourself killed?"

He did too. Robin pushed her tiny hand away and focused his attention once more to the crying sky.

Lightning

Thunder.

We are not anymore afraid of such natural oddities. What frightens us was the hostility between these so called friends.

Were they even friends to begin with?

Maybe they were. Or are. Whatever suits Raven's softened features as she put the same hand he pushed away on his shoulder.

Lightning again.

Thunder again.

Did you see what we just saw?

Robin's cheek.

It was bleeding.

Raven put another hand on his other shoulder. She forced him to face her.

Slowly as a predator would approach her prey, slender fingers emitting a soothing sapphire glow brushed over the cut.

And she stopped.

"What do you think you're doing?" He glared, and again pushed away his only chance of comfort.

Her hand immediately shot up to the scratch on his well-toned face. "I'm trying to heal you."

"I don't need –"

"If you don't trust me enough to share about what fun you had getting your ass kicked, then at least trust me to let me heal you!"

Robin gave up, and left to her business. He studied her stance and wondered why she kept persisting. She caught it and redrew her face back under the safety of her hood.

"Any more injuries I should know about? Third-degree burns? Fractured ribs? Dislocated limbs? One or more possible signs of insanity?" Raven declared as-a-matter-of-factly with a hint of rudeness in her tone.

Do you wish to leave and come back a day after? Do you get the same feeling that they might be capable of murder if someone does not stop them?

They're superheroes? Oh, you mean the Teen Titans? Well, we knew the T-shaped tower was a dead giveaway…Let us stay then, and watch how two pillars of justice defend themselves against each other…

"Save it for someone who cares…" He muttered, distinct enough for her to hear.

Robin was too absorbed in his pride to even notice the approaching fist that was about to connect with his jaw.

Unfortunately, he was too late.

But being the Boy Wonder he was, it wasn't too long before he pulled himself back up into standing position and took no notice of what happened.

His female companion was now walking around him tauntingly, and he neither flinched nor paid heed.

Truly both were headstrong. And pathetically stubborn. May the gods have mercy.

"All right, Robin. I'll play your little 'game,' " Raven was now circling him in fast paces, boots thumping against the carpet, "Always being the hero now, are we?

She went on with a monologue dripping with the wryest sarcasm, cynicism, and hurtful insults that even you could have even pounced on her and be sorry for ever scarring her face.

"Yes, Robin, heroes don't fall down on their knees!

"Heroes don't cry!

"Heroes like you don't need saving!

"Oh help me Robin! I'm being the bitch that I am!"

And she wasn't able to continue as he tackled her to the ground.

Finally, it served her right. Now Robin, will you give her what she deserves?

Oh my…watch as the small girl was able to force himself off her, now the two are locked in a battle of what was going to be a flurry of punches and kicks.

Shhh…be careful as to not wake your teammates.

Robin delivered a side kick that looked powerful enough to send Cinderblock flying, and Raven avoided it, dodging and slipping out of the way as he began an assault on her.

Yet she maintained her defense mechanism, never making any contact.

He threw an upper cut, then delivered a punch to her gut, causing her to fall to her knees, clutching her abdomen.

Come on, woman! Use that telekinesis of yours!

And she did. Black energy emanated from her palms and immediately wrapped itself around his body, pushing him far back against the wall.

Raven stood up, and fixed her posture. Her ability to bounce back after just twenty seconds of emotional and physical pressure had to be marveled at.

The anger smoldering in Robin's gaze gave Raven a pause. The hatred he had nurtured to protect himself from hurt would eventually consume him unless someone would break through his leadership defenses and restored his trust.

Raven, Raven, Raven. Believe us or not, it was time to let go of the stubborn streak you were born with and console your leader not as a teammate, but as a friend.

Do it now.

And she might do a good job, will she not?

Still, she showed no emotion. Standing unmoving, her expression felt neutral from underneath the shadows of her cloak, Raven appeared totally detached.

Her magic eventually let the masked boy go. And he stood his ground with a calm unwavering sense of inevitability that ruled his entire life.

She matched his gaze with a depth of intensity that Robin found disarming.

Speak now, for we are tired of waiting.

Rain still taps angrily against the window. O drops of drifting stars, can you not be so piercing with your falling? 'Tis your fault we were not able to hear what Robin said.

Something about heroes? Shhh, Raven speaks.

Or rather, cries out.

"Damn you! You can't even expect me to just ignore the fact that there's something about to push you over the edge to the point of no return!"

"What's it to you? You're not even the one with the exaggerated need to be perfect?"

"Just because you're insecure about being human doesn't mean you should take it out on your nightly solo missions!"

"And who gave you the right to spy on me?"

Silence. Perhaps we should approach them nearer. It's not about violating their privacy, you are curious are you not?

Look, they are at a lost for words. And it always has to mean there was more to come.

"Rae, I'm sorry. I just don't want you guys to…"

"To what? Worry about you? All the while I was engaging Cyborg into anger management, consoling a worried Starfire, and who knows how much I have to put up with the green jackass' constant questions!"

"It's not like I even wanted this! You of all people must understand that I do what I have to do not just for the city's sake, but for the team's – "

"What about your sake?"

"I can't afford to…Raven I-I can't possibly afford to fall down on my knees, or cry, or even have the nerve to think of myself…" And his words trailed off, him knowing that Raven was about to burst out into a one-girl reign of whatever she was capable of.

"How did you think I feel knowing that you were out there? Hoping that you'll come home safe…Worrying that I may not be able to reprimand you the next time you decide to do something stupid…What if I lost you? I would…I-I…" Raven's voice lacked the intensity it had, and it came out as a whimper, desperate to let itself out as fast as it could.

And she broke down.

Robin was by her side in a heartbeat, wrapping his arms around her. She looked up at him, and saw the tiniest hint of a tear at the edge of his domino mask…being illuminated by the soft moonlight.

Moonlight?

Have you ended your melancholy Mother Nature? Indeed you have, for the natural orchestra has ceased, leaving only the gentle kisses of the wind against the rustling leaves of the trees outside.

He sniffed, trying to suppress a sob. This did not go unnoticed by the girl in his arms, as she pried herself gently away from him, so that she could reach out to him with her hands…

Oh her hands, the same hands he pushed away so many times before but kept on coming back to him.

"It's not Robin that's crying now, is it? Robin doesn't fall to his knees, nor cry. He doesn't even need anyone to save him. But…"

"He isn't real. And Richard Grayson will make sure of that, as of tonight," he finished for her.

Robin took her hand, and she felt warmth swirl through her. His gaze drifted to her eyes and removed his glove, and oh so slowly lifted his hand, and cradled her cheek with his palm.

Raven leaned into his touch, automatically closing her eyes as she sensed him pull away her hood.

Now both of his hands, void of any gauntlet whatsoever, brushed against what they could feel, as he memorized every feature with his fingertips, long enough for him to paint a picture of her in his mind.

And he stopped.

Then he took her small hands and led them to his own face.

Raven then trailed her feel his every feature, with her eyes closed. She entangled her fingers in his hair, stroked the eyelashes in front of the closed eyes, taking in the rest of her features…

Eyelashes?

She opened her eyes immediately, only to find themselves lost in pools of electric blue, much more softer than the sky's on a sunny day, or deeper than the clearest waters…

Kiss him…

Passion.

Lust.

Love.

Kiss him.

And she did.

It was filled with warmth and tenderness that he leaned in for another. One that was deeper, more intimate, Robin felt her frail arms snaked around his neck as his hands wrapped around her petite figure.

As chaste and clumsy it was, it made him feel loved.

And when it ended, he felt breathless and light-headed.

Mother Nature stopped crying, and we are certain the next time she does, it would be tears of joy.

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**Well, here ya guys go.**

**Anyway, I think I'm gonna take a break from all the stuff. No, not permanently, but on a hiatus.**

**Too personal…everything's just too damn bitchy for my own good.**

**So uh…I'm just gonna finish the next three chapters for this fic, and then take a vacation. If you guys really wanna know why, to make a long story short, I have this obsession of always having to be no. 1 in class, so my grades just took a little dip there and then.**

**Still on top, but what bothers me is that I don't know if I could balance my schedule anymore. I did maintain my straight-A streak, except for my conduct, B, just because I lost my temper…**

**But what's bothering me is the fact that while I was so happy to be the first in my batch once again my parents had to say, "Ooh. You almost slipped. Whose fault is it for not following us when we told you to not spend so much time blah blah…Make sure to get higher next semester."**

**It sucks, doesn't it? And to think this came from my parents…I did get high grades! **

**Damn.**

**Well anyway, I promise to finish this fic, then I'm gonna take a break, come back sometime around February-March with updates of 'Make the Fireflies Dance,' 'Catch a Falling Star,' and 'Haunted by Desire,' plus two new stories 'Gemini's Dreaming' and 'Night's Plutonian Shore.'**

**Man, I am gonna miss you guys. I promise I'll be back.**

**God Bless,**

**kiki**


	3. F L A M E S

**Sigh...it's finally good to be back. One of my stories got deleted so I can't upload...Added to that, my computer broke down and until now our telephone post is still being fixed...Guess where I am now? Hehe, in an freakin' internet cafe...**

**Unfortunately, this would be the last chapter I'll be writing - for now. I am going on a hiatus, and don't get me wrong, but I've written this chapter since January...**

**Yes, I am on a hiatus. I don't know when I'll be back, but for sure I haven't even read the stories ob this site...so please understand. The final exams will be in the next two weeks, so that's self-explanatory enough...I really am going to miss you guys...**

**Anyway, moving on to the chapter, this was for alena's challenge...And this was based on the Filipino game FLAMES. It's like first you write down your name, then your crush's name, cross out all the letters you have in common with, and count the total. Your letters' total will represent what you are to that your crush and vice versa. Total all in all and you get the corresponding relationship you two are supposed to have.**

**This is dedicated to all my favorite authors, readers, writers, etc. : alena-chan, cherry jade, mind shadow, the writer you fools, sekai no yakusoku, cherished 18, val-creative, sadista, baby blue ice cream, tecna, chica de los ojos cafe, ravenrogue19, sweetncraziesugarmuffin, furubafun24, watergoddess08, darkofthenight, totallyrae, and others who I admire, reviewed, and have supported me...**

**This is dedicated to my beta Mind Shadow, and of course, to one of my bestfriends, Homo/Jackass/Future Ruler of the World/Musay... **

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**F. L. A. M. E. S.**

"**_Will you be here for all eternity?"_**

* * *

One game of Stank-Ball...and the main room of the Titans' tower looked as if a hurricane tore through it.

Of course, that's if you defined 'hurricane' as a rather large mechanical teen, a green cheetah, and an alien with green star bolts shooting out of her hands, being chased by tendrils of black energy, which happened to be 'accidentally' released by a certain half-demon who 'accidentally' became target practice.

Well, there was no use in getting the resident glower child to clean up the mess she technically caused after she locked herself inside her room for meditation, but not before running out the 'Three Stooges,' as she came to call them, out of the tower.

He knew better than to cut another wire off of a ticking bomb.

Better enough to be the martyr – who said being leader had its perks all the time?

The masked boy sighed with a thought as he continued to pick up what seemed to be the remnants of a pizza box, greasy game controllers, bottles of half-emptied mustard, and a finished novel of some author he didn't know.

After putting away the last of the stuff he'd taken care of, he then stretched, loosening all of his tension.

Robin seated himself on top of the breakfast nook, legs dangling by the sides of the counter. He surveyed his surroundings and decided that he did a job well done on cleaning up after his team.

What to do, what to do...

Snacks?

He'll wait until his stomach starts to grumble.

Video games?

There was no way he'd be getting grease on his newly-washed gauntlets, let alone clean whoever's saliva it was off of the game controllers.

Music?

And risk suffering an early death in the hands of a short-tempered bird?

Right now, television sounds good. He apparently recalled reading about the Women's Wrestling Championship somewhere in the paper that morning.

The caped crusader smirked at the thought of chicks in spandex, stuck in some promising positions he'd die for.

Jumping off his sitting position, he plopped down on the couch and let his gloved hands roam for a certain cursed device.

Great...the only time he gets to be a normal teenage boy was the time the remote turns up missing.

Well, he could always get up and turn on the tube.

Or he could just find the remote – switching channels did take a lot of time.

Getting up, he decided not to bother looking under the couch or anywhere near the area of the main room. -- He just cleaned it for Pete's sake!

He remembered what he had to hold while playing French maid – and that did not include the crafted mechanism that separates him and half-naked women in death matches worth two sweet hours or more.

The spiky-haired teen rummaged through the kitchen drawers, eager to get his hands on the cause of his supposed misery.

It wasn't until he reached the third drawer near the recently installed dishwasher that thoughts of female wrestlers blotted themselves into oblivion.

The neat and cursive strokes of magenta ink were undoubtedly Starfire's.

Curious as he was, he took the sheet tinted with the alien's handwriting, and found himself seated on the couch shortly afterwards.

…and it took Robin a few good scratches on the head to absorb what the paper held.

F. L. A. M. **E.** S.

**Frie**nd **R**ob**i**n – 6 – Sweetheart

Sta**rfire** – 5 – Enemy

**11 - Enemies**

F. L. A. **M.** E. S.

**Friend****R**obi**n** – 8 – Love

**Friend****R**ave**n** – 8 – Love

**16 – Marriage**

Yes, he has heard of the so-called childish game that would determine whether or not two people are destined to be. The pathetic excuse of being Friends, Lovers, Acquaintances (Acceptance), Married, Enemies, or Sweethearts would eventually serve as the catalyst of relationships, as fate would allow it.

Surely Starfire would have known better than to put all her hopes into a stupid piece of paper with hers and her beloved's names on it, crossing out the letters that were similar, counting the number that corresponds to the intended amount of what that person means to the counterpart, and then totaling them to finally know what they were meant to be.

But nooooo...she had to break her heart into more pieces by finding out her 'rival' would have had better luck with the boy of her dreams… which she did.

If it really was infatuation that he was feeling for the redhead, would she be an enemy to him, while he a sweetheart to her? What about being destined to be friends?

He already knew for a fact that he and Raven were indeed alike, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they were both lovers to one another.

And by the term 'lover' itself, he couldn't help but blush at what was the definition: either two people involved in a love affair, or –deep breath– sexual partners.

Not only that, they were to be married?

On Robin's part, wouldn't it be logical to shrug this off as a mere superstition or crappy take on romance? After all, if Star hadn't included the word 'friend,' then maybe, just maybe, the results would be what she had hoped for: a better future with '_her boy_.'

And he didn't even know if he would be relieved that there was a reason for Star to stop trying to win his attention, or be happy enough that he was going to be Raven's lover and to-be husband.

Indeed, he did find it foolish to rely on Star's newfound pastime, but if he were to make a few revisions, would the results be different from what they were before?

Grabbing a pen from the nearby computer, he set down the paper and got to work.

And he was proud to say that he was satisfied with what he did:

F. L. A. M. **E.** S.

**R**ob**i**n – 2 – LOVE

Sta**r**f**ir**e – 3 – ACCEPT

**5 – ENEMIES**

F. L. A. **M.** E. S.

**R**obi**n** – 2 – LOVE

**R**ave**n** – 2 – LOVE

**4 – MARRIAGE**

But not quite.

Come to think of it, a relationship within the team wasn't really the reason he stopped daydreaming of a certain orange-skinned girl, but it was really because of his duties as leader.

And having a dark enchantress for a second-in-command made it all worthwhile...

Stopping himself before he could think of any more 'inappropriate' thoughts regarding a cloaked teammate, he wondered… wondered if there was more to this 'Flames' game that meets the eye.

He was beginning to reconsider, taking note of being the love of Star's life while he just accepted her as a friend and nothing more; or the actuality of the mutual feelings given by the paper, that both birds were supposed 'lovers.'

But part of him expected this, but he couldn't just register what he was feeling that very second. He knew for a fact that added 'accuracy' didn't really change his 'fate' of being enemies with the bubbly alien, and married to the violet-haired vixen.

"Arggh!" Robin buried his head in between his hands, and massaged his temple.

He just couldn't take it anymore. It wasn't like him to just leave a mystery like this ignored, let alone turn down a challenge.

The infatuation with the alien princess was difficult to get over with, and he didn't need the same feelings bothering him about the sorceress, accompanied with adolescent emotions of lust rampaging through his mind.

"I don't even know if I should believe you! You're just a stupid piece of paper, how can I expect you to hold my future?" Robin paused, trying to catch his breath, "It's not like writing a bunch of names then crossing out letters and doing some kind of Pre-school math would help me find my true love..."

"Not like I need a love life right now..." The caped crusader muttered, pushing the page at least a feet away from his hands from the coffee table.

"I don't know if that would even last forever, you know what? I mean, you're just a tree – an inanimate object, and I, leader of the Titans, just cannot take advice from you."

"**_Will you be here for all eternity?_**" He was now leaning towards the paper, as if to expect a reply from it. And as intended he inclined his back to rest on the couch, "No. Because you're just a stupid piece of paper, and it's a known fact that biodegradable garbage like you would eventually rot and become nothing..."

He resumed resting his elbows on his knees, all the while continuing his monologue, "You know, Robbie Boy, talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity, worse is that you're actually trying to have a not-so-decent conversation with a piece of paper...and I'm referring to myself in the second person..."

Brushing off anymore unnecessary complications aside, he turned the sheet over, and started another round of childish amusement.

Frankly, he did not even know why kids, teens, and even hopeless romantics bothered with recreations like this. It wasn't fun if you knew the apple of your eye wasn't meant to be with nor, delightful if you'd be willing to waste the ink of a pen or the lead of a pencil, or even kill a tree by sacrificing a sheet of paper for unfulfilled desires of romance and the like.

And before he knew it, he was staring at that piece of paper again. Not confused like the first time, nor unsure akin to the next.

F. L. A. M. E. S.

**R**ich**ard** G**ra**ys**on** – 8 – LOVE

K**or**'**andr** – 6 – SWEETHEART

**14 - LOVERS**

At least he and Star were on good terms...now that leaves...

"Raven..." He murmured unconsciously.

"Finally, the first rational thing to come out of your mouth today."

He'd know that monotonous drone anywhere – and as an initial reaction he stood up and faced the owner of the voice, making a fool of himself in the process.

"Raven? Ah, I was just ah..." He stuttered, desperately trying to hide the dreaded sheet that would be his doom if ever the dark girl would find out what was written on it.

"You were just busy continuing Star's pointless FLAMES?" Came the reply.

Robin panicked, groping for the paper behind his back, only to grasp thin air.

It was then he found it clutched between pale fingers.

"Hmmm, I really don't think I could be the soccer mom type," Raven smirked, pulling off her hood.

And it took a while for him to figure out the double meaning behind her words.

And before he knew it, she was propped down beside him, finishing his work.

F. **L.** A. M. E. S.

**R**ich**ar**d G**ra**y**son** – 8 – LOVE

**Ra**ve**n****Ro**t**h** – 6 – SWEETHEART

**14 – LOVERS**

"At least you don't have to compare the two..." She looked up at him, amethyst eyes unreadable.

But before he could reply, her magic tore up the sheet of paper, black tendrils sending the fragments into an unknown portal.

"**_Will you be here for all eternity?_**" She mused in fake misery, mocking him, "No, because I made your death a little early. I'd apologize, but I don't know which tree you came from, so tough luck."

Robin just had to grin at her unpredictability in uncomfortable situations like this. Now that the Flames game determined the potential of both females to be his one and only, he just had to be a little sullen if ever Star found out about it.

"But she wouldn't...she doesn't even know your real name so there's no way she'd ever think of using that for FLAMES..." Raven trailed off, expecting him to finish her sentence…

But he didn't.

"Don't ever take advice from a stupid piece of paper," he said, while pulling her closer to him and wrapping an arm around the gothic vamp's waist.

* * *

**There ya go. Think of it as a "goodbye" gift, but I'll be back...someday...Keep the raerob flame going on guys, I promise you updates on my stories the when I return...**

**Thanks for everything, and I hope you enjoyed this.**

**god bless, **

**kiki **


	4. Kiss from a Rose

Hey there.

Long time no see...Well, I think the hiatus is over...Just one problem, I don't have internet access at home so I go online in an internet cafe...Hope you guys consider.

Well, I just wanna say that I miss sooo much, especially my favorite authors, readers, and reviewers. Yep, part of the problem i mentioned earlier is the fact that i have limited time -very limited time- to read the wonderful stories here...

But anyway, here's my first update since my hiatus, a sort of AU songfic on Seal's "Kiss from a Rose."

This goes out to my beta, **Mind Shadow**.

**I do not own Teen Titans.**

**I do not own the song Kiss from a Rose by Seal.**

Enjoy.

**Chapter 4: Kiss from a Rose**

"**And her scent was like the scent of life."**

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

_**There used to be a graying tower alone on the sea.**_

_**You became the light on the dark side of me.**_

_**Love remained a drug that's the high and not the pill.**_

_He was drowning, and the emptiness was all he could hold on to. _

_The weight of his cape, boots, and utility belt were jerking him even further below. Murky water filled his vision, the sound of struggle was enough to tell him that this might be it – how or why he even got here was out of the question. _

"_Robin…" was barely audible enough for him to hear, and his limbs immediately responded, frantically waving, looking for whoever it was calling, salvation be thy name._

_Suddenly gentle arms lifted him from what almost had been his watery grave. He caught a glimpse of black wings before he closed his eyes._

_He started to regain his senses, only to feel the silkiness of rose petals under his fingertips…and soft lips brushing over his. The kiss sought him with an intensity that was almost too frightening, yet he gave in to the passion, just as his rescuer ran her hands through his hair, smoothening his ebony spikes. Her moan pursued him to do more…_

Third time's the charm. Richard Grayson smirked at this thought in mind. It's not very typical for any teen his age have that kind of dream – being saved by a chick who then makes out with you in a field of roses. Or was it bed?

It might seem so strange, like something you might see from a horror movie where the lead character has the same dream over and over again until it comes true, but for the incoming intern of his foster father's Wayne Industries, it was something he was looking forward to for the fourth night in a row.

Anybody looking at him walking down the street would note that Richard was just your everyday teenage boy-next-door, considering the white long sleeved shirt over a red polo, baggy jeans, sneakers, gelled hair...

And the cheesy grin was a dead giveaway that this young man was daydreaming – building enough castles in the air to be aware that he was about to cross the road.

A beep from the incoming truck eventually woke him up from the trance, and was he lucky enough to step back from the path of the large vehicle, but his reflexes failed to sense the bike behind him.

The next thing he knew, roses were everywhere.

_**But did you know,**_

_**That when it snows,**_

_**My eyes become large and,**_

_**The light that you shine can be seen.**_

Richard stood up to see the bike still knocked down, with a sign hanging form its seat that read 'Mother Mae Aye's Flower Shop.'

"Why didn't you watch where you're going?" A finger pointed to his face, close enough to poke an eye. Seeing that the hostile voice belongs to a female, he gently took hold of the owner's hand, pulling it down.

He was about to speak when he set eyes on the person in front of him.

Garbed in a black tee and cargo pants, with a Mother Mae Aye's Flower Shop apron, the young woman's pony tailed shoulder length hair was wet with perspiration, loose strands around her face accentuating her eyes, which rendered him speechless in the first place.

Round orbs in a odd but captivating sort of way, they were in a shade between blue and purple, matching the highlights of her raven hair…And her features were peculiarly familiar…

"Well? Are you just gonna stand there 'til hell freezes over?" She spat, taking away her hand inside his, then dropped to her knees to pick up the rest of the flowers that were still in one piece, as she muttered under her breath, "Why do I even bother?"

"I'm really, really sorry. I kinda spaced out so…" Richard started to say, as he bent over the lady, making sure to keep his sight away from her form, but was cut short when Miss Hysteria got to her feet without warning to start another one-sided verbal feud.

Having the feeling that she was about to use profane language as her weapon, he quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, just as a bunch of toddlers ran past them. When a blonde boy was about to pick up a rose from the sidewalk, the woman in his arms bit his hand.

Richard immediately let go, but grabbed her from behind when she shouted, "Step away from the roses you little punk!"

This caused her to face him, as he released her from his grasp, "Look lady, I know you're upset, but that's no way to treat a little kid…"

"Upset? Well let's see, you bulldozed four dozen roses reserved for two anniversaries, one birthday, and a proposal. And most of these flowers as you can see, don't look like flowers anymore. That cost me two months worth of salary and here comes this freeloader who'll just happen to take one of the good ones and you just expect me to – "

"If you could just calm down – "

"I am calm!"

"Rachel – "

"How'd you know my name?" She practically screamed, drawing more attention to Richard than herself, and her moon pale face went red when he pointed at her name tag.

A little awkward, but enough to shut her up as both teens were now gathering the flowers on their knees.

Just as they were about to finish, Richard noticed the basket at the front of the bike and headed towards it. The least he can do to help besides collecting the flowers was make sure they're still good enough to look at. And nothing does it better with a bucket of water, which he found inside the basket.

Apparently, the greater scheme of things begs to differ, as he tripped while making his way towards Rachel, the pail flying through the air, and its contents landing on a head of blue-black hair.

_**Baby, I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the gray.**_

_**Ooh, The more I get of you, Ooh**_

_**Stranger it feels, yeah.**_

_**And now that your rose is in bloom,**_

_**A light hits the gloom on the gray.**_

Pretty soon, loads of random eyeballs were, well, eyeballing them. It was too late to wish for a miracle, say the ground suddenly coming to life to swallow him up.

But public humiliation wasn't the least of his problems. What he was worried about was facing the wrath of the one called Rachel, who by judging from the look in her eyes, would kill him first, bring him back to life, then kill him again.

"I'm so sorry – "

"Forget it dude, okay?" She breathed, strangling the roses in her hands as she walked a turtle's pace towards her bike, "This is why I hate plants."

Richard even expected her head to make a 360 degree turn ala Exorcist.

But all Rachel did was stand up her bike, but not before swiping the flowers he was holding. He responded by running in front of her, stopping the bike from taking off, "It was an accident, I – "

Richard could have sworn the moss on her head started to boil when she made eye contact with him. Talk about if looks could kill.

"If there's still anything I can do Rae, I – "

"Yes there is," she seethed, hopping on the bike, "One. You don't know me well enough to call me Rae. That's not my name, Rachel is. Two. You've done enough to make me suffer so leave me alone."

"But Rachel – "

Richard continued to persist, blocking her path when she just ran the bike over his feet.

"Men."

He fell on his bottom, taking off his sneakers and clutching where the throbbing pain was.

The adolescent stared at Rachel's retreating figure, then sighed, "I should have rode my motorcycle today."

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Richard closed the door behind him and turned to face the office of a man looking sharp in his suit, steely blue eyes speaking for themselves, almost as if to say, "You're late."

By then, he almost wished he was being tortured by Rachel instead of Bruce.

"It's my day off, remember?" He retorted, taking a seat in front of his foster father's desk, "Don't tell me you're getting old."

"And you need to stop riding in the booster seat if you want to be CEO of Wayne Industries."

"That's kinda what I need to talk to you about."

"I know."

"You know?" Richard stood up, bringing down his hands on the mahogany wood, strong enough to topple Bruce's paperweights, "Then why the hell let me go through all the trouble of being an intern?"

Bruce let out a hearty laugh, sitting down on his leather chair to face him, "I was just waiting for your common sense to finally come out."

The younger man smirked sat again. He can never outsmart the Batman's alter-ego for Pete's sake. And considering that he was allowed to go to college instead of skipping it via Wayne Industries practicum, he decided to change the topic before Bruce starts another sermon on the importance of responsibility and keeping his priorities straight.

"Today's the big day?" He leaned back, putting his feet on the table.

"It was supposed to. But it can wait for tonight, I'm taking Selena out for dinner, then I'll ask her to marry me. The roses I ordered this morning never came. The flower shop called two hours later saying they had a problem with the delivery," Bruce pushed his son's feet away, hitting the spot where a certain raven haired girl ran over earlier.

This caught the teen off balance as he let out an "Ow!" tumbling down the chair. He was thankful for the office's carpet, which broke his fall, along with his rear.

Bruce bent over his desk just as Richard managed to say, "That wouldn't happen to be Mother Mae Aye's Flower Shop, now wouldn't it?"

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

_**There is so much a man can tell you,**_

_**So much he can say.**_

_**You remain,**_

_**My power, my pleasure, my pain, baby**_

_**To me you're like a growing addiction that I can't deny... yeah.**_

_**Won't you tell me is that healthy, baby?**_

It took quite a few twists and turns before he finally arrived at his destination. Richard let out a sigh of relief as he pushed the glass door, and wasn't all that surprised when varieties of flowers were all around the room, nor seeing a good crowd inside a place giving a small town impression in the suburbs of Gotham City.

Visions of soft pastels adorned the flora, he observed while making his way towards the counter, not that sure whether or not he was eager to come vis-à-vis with a one-girl reign of mayhem dressed in a blue tank top and overalls.

"Oh no, not you again," Rachel just about gritted her teeth, and he almost felt sorry for the dishrag she was practically mangling with her callused hands.

He even had to mentally scold himself for chuckling slightly at the thought of the usefulness of a worn-out cloth as a work surface cleaner and at the same time a stress ball for the typical ticking bomb.

And the woman in front of him eventually mistook his inward laughter as somewhat offensive, pretty much for a guy who managed to not only leave a permanent damage to your pocket, but also humiliate you in public.

"Does my misery amuse you?" She stated as indifferently as she could, and he took this a sign of impending death. Which was why he immediately took out a huge bouquet of roses he had been hiding behind his back, and gave them to her.

After what seems to be a staring contest of Rachel's predetermined victory, she managed to scream "Listen here you scum-sucking weasel, I've had just enough out of you. What part of Leave me alone! don't you understand?"

And he had a serious déjà vu vibe the second all eyes turned to them.

That was when she reached over the cash register and grabbed a few of the flowers from the bouquet, and decapitated them. "I hate roses," she muttered.

He didn't have time to defend himself when his communicator rang. Richard was going to have to wait, because Robin was needed somewhere in Gotham.

"Sorry Rae, gotta go, I'll be right back!"

As he rushed out of Mother Mae Aye's Flower Shop, Rachel's shout was loud enough for him to hear, "Hey! I'm not done with you yet! And don't call me Rae!"

But what he didn't see was the way her amethyst eyes gleamed with something unreadable, along with the blush that crept to her cheeks when she said that.

_**But did you know,**_

_**That when it snows,**_

_**My eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen.**_

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

His footsteps drifted back to the darkness that trembled at the edge of summer as he neared towards the warehouse where Bio Chem Industries used to stand tall in all its glory.

Stealthy as a thief in the night, he crept inside the nearest window and camouflaged himself within the silence of the shadows.

Convinced that he was concealed from view he grinned slightly, a bit proud of himself that he'll not only give the Old Bats a night off, but also prove himself to Bruce that he was worthy of the privilege of flying solo as Robin, period, and not just Robin, Batman's sidekick.

From where he was crouched he stole a look at tonight's villain. The giant plants that looked like they were a cross between a Venus Flytrap and a rose were enough to tell him who he was dealing with.

Well speak of the devil, she made her grand entrance via living tree branch no. 4, as it bent over to a field of seedlings.

"Don't worry my babies, soon you'll get to join me in my feats of mayhem. But right now, Mommy will feed you with vitamins, so you'll grow big and strong," her emerald eyes glinted with the malice as intense her red hair, as the woman mused, cradling the air above a bed of tiny plants while smoothening the greenness of her second skin.

"Jeez, Poison Ivy, I don't even want to know who's the father." Robin quipped rather sharply, the same way his Birdarang sliced through the branch carrying one of his archenemies.

He caught the weapon as it returned to him in a boomerang motion, but not as quick enough as large vines clinging to the wall across brought themselves to life and wrapped themselves around him.

The next thing he knew, he was upside down, his and his captor's noses almost touching.

"Yum. Birdie Boy for dinner," Poison Ivy chuckled, and he thought she was about to kiss him.

"Well, I'm one entrée that's about to bite back," Robin jerked forward, banging his head with hers.

She backed away, and he took this opportunity to survey his surroundings. She certainly made the warehouse look like the inside of a greenhouse, only the usual plant lover's picks were replaced with overly mutated exotic species of trees, shrubs, and flowers – there also seemed to be a well and a mini laboratory at the far end.

He turned his attention once more to the redhead, who happened to wave her arm in command, while the vines almost crushed his lungs like a python would with its prey.

"No man can resist me," She blew him a kiss, and he heard the sultriness flow from her lips, along with glittering dust of a pinkish hue coming towards him.

Robin knew it was impossible to douse the darkness that was pulling him in as he closed his eyes in surrender.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

_**Baby, I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the gray.**_

_**Ooh, the more I get of you**_

_**Stranger it feels, yeah**_

_**Now that your rose is in bloom.**_

_**A light hits the gloom on the gray,**_

A figure emerged from the shadows, darkness melting into tendrils that clutched the hero turned minion of the plant villainess, marking the start of a showdown between two caped crusaders.

The redhead watched in amusement from her throne of branches, crossed and uncrossed her legs. The trance, strong as ever, was in effect with fuchsia glowing where the white film of Robin's mask was supposed to be.

The spiky haired teen looked like he was giving whoever it was he was fighting the beating of his lifetime.

Make that her lifetime.

A roundhouse kick brought the intruder to her knees, along with the hood of her cloak, exposing moon pale features and lavender locks smeared with dirt.

"Finish her!" The four walls echoed Poison Ivy's cry. A call of victory was about to form itself inside her throat, only to die down with the arrival of the Dark Knight, who swooped down, sending his sidekick hurling towards the nearby well, and inside it.

_**I've been kissed by a rose on the gray,**_

_**I've been kissed by a rose on the gray,**_

_**And if I should fall, at all**_

_**I've been kissed by a rose on the gray.**_

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Limited space was holding him, and his hands can't find their way to his grappling hook. He was kicking uncontrollably, and all he felt was the hardness of the well, as if it was swallowing him.

And he was ready to be welcomed into the watery grave when he lost his breath.

"Robin…"

He wasn't sure if he was flying. But he didn't need to know, as he was lying down on a tree's bough, in his rescuer's arms.

_**There is so much a man can tell you,**_

_**So much he can say.**_

_**You remain**_

_**My power, my pleasure, my pain.**_

_**To me you're like a growing addiction that I can't deny, yeah**_

**_Won't you tell me is that healthy, baby?_**

Soft lips touched his, and he already anticipated the carnal need. Robin felt himself taking in the life the kiss was giving him. With his newfound strength he pulled his savior's waist closer, memorizing with his hands her delicate frame.

It wasn't like he was expecting. Unlike the dream, she pushed him away and covered her face with her hood.

This caused him to lose balance and fall of the branch, and down to a rose garden.

"I'm okay…" He uttered, and swore that he saw her eyes shift from worry to zombie dead in the fraction of a second.

_**But did you know,**_

_**That when it snows,**_

_**My eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen.**_

He noticed her attire was faintly provocative to match the exoticism of her pools of amethyst, and mysterious enough for the cloak to hide the leotard, belt, boots, and suggestion of curves. But Robin was sure that he did saw her wipe her mouth with her sleeve in a feverish manner, and pools of amethyst narrowed into slits for him to see.

Blackness engulfed her out of his sight. His cry of "Wait!" came out as "Ow!" when he tried to get up, then felt broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder pull him back.

Robin cursed under his breath, and turned his head towards a block of ice containing Poison Ivy. Assumptions swam in the pool of his thoughts, just as Batman came into view, "The thing about plants is, they love water. That's why freeze discs work like a charm…Dick, you all right?"

"Nifty. Never knew a bed of roses could have thorns."

_**Baby, I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the gray.**_

_**Ooh, the more I get of you**_

_**Stranger it feels, yeah**_

_**Now that your rose is in bloom.**_

_**A light hits the gloom on the gray,**_

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"Is this all of the fan girls you have? Tsk, tsk, tsk. I guess I'll have to find another heir for my ladies' man legacy."

Richard smirked at the direction of the voice, and its owner turned out to be sitting in a sofa from across the hospital bed, looking out the sunrise the view of Gotham has to offer.

"Ha-ha, Bruce. Half of those roses died last night and the fan clubs happened to have sent fruitcake and pies. And Alfred took home the get-well balloons," he quipped, careful not to laugh out loud too much as he gently rubbed the bandages around his waist and left arm.

"Dick."

"Yeah?"

"Made up your mind?"

"Yes and no. I'm not exactly Wayne Industries CEO material, but I haven't decided which college I wanna go to."

"You're right. You're too reckless and stubborn to make decisions regarding million dollar stock markets…but you're good enough to get in any college you want. How does Harvard sound?"

"Well, I…"

Knock. Knock.

The older man got up and opened the door. The visitor eventually shocked Richard, and caused Bruce arch an eyebrow.

"You don't look like a fan girl to me. You know her Dick?"

"Sort of. Hey Rae, I mean Rachel."

Bruce gave way and let the young woman in, who was garbed in a maroon Gotham University sweater with the sleeves rolled up, pleated denim miniskirt, and striped knee socks with Wellington boots. Richard even noticed that her hair was finally neat and tidy, and she was wearing eyeglasses.

"I was on my way to class, but I had a lot of time to spare. And I actually came to say so-, I mean ask to apolo-, um…" She started to say, and Bruce was behind her, trying to stifle a laugh.

"Apology accepted." Richard finished for her, and heard her mutter under her breath, "Thank God I didn't have to say it."

"Uh, thanks. And here," Rachel reached inside her backpack to pull out something that looked like a little pouch, and tossed it to him.

"I didn't know you were the homemaker type."

"Actually I'm not. I hate roses. Mother Mae Y made that and forced me to come here."

He caught it with his good hand, and grinned at her, "So it wasn't out of the goodness of your heart? I thought that you managed to kill the roses I gave you then made their death productive by using them for potpourri."

"We're having a moment here, don't ruin it."

"…"

Bruce patted her on the head, "That's another drag race accident causing permanent damage to your ability to come up with a witty comeback," And turned to Richard, "Finally, a bigger smart ass than you are. Consider it a compliment Rachel."

For the first time, Richard saw her smile warmly.

"I think I'd better get going, classes start in fifteen. Nice meeting you Mr. Wayne. Get well, Rich," Rachel shook Bruce's hands and headed for the door.

"I've had worse," Richard managed to say.

"I wouldn't brag about that," She retorted, and the smile turned itself into a smirk, "See 'ya tomorrow. Mother Mae Y says I'll have to replace that bouquet I killed."

"I look forward to it Rae."

"Sure. 'Bye."

Bruce closed the door, "She's the first girl I've met that hates roses…"

"She's not like any other girl."

"Does this mean you like – "

"Where were we? About college, I mean," Richard turned away from Bruce and gazed at buildings outside, hoping that his foster father didn't notice the abrupt change of topic.

"Well, where do you want to study?"

"How does Gotham University sound?"

"Fine. I'll ask Rachel to fill me in on the details."

"Thanks," Richard stared at Bruce's back as the man walked towards the window and made a call on his cell phone. Suddenly bored, he fidgeted with the potpourri Rachel had given him.

It was only then that he realized that she let him call her Rae.

_**And now that your rose is in bloom**_

_**A light hits the gloom on the gray.**_

**_0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000_**

Well?

I am actually proud of this chapter...my version of how Rae and Rob met.

For starters:

Mother Mae Y - Yes, the spelling is intended. Cute name for a flower shop, in my opinion...I just wanna play up the mother mae-eye angle a lil bit.

Selena/Catwoman x Bruce/Batman - I am all about this pairing. Don't ask, but I like how well they go together, for those who have seen The Batman series...

Dark Knight - DC Comics and Batman fans already know that this refers to Batman, I just wanna stress this for informational purposes.

RaeRob kiss no.2 - Rae pushed him away because she was supposed to give him CPR, not make out with him...Just wanna let you know to avoid confusion...

Rachel Roth - In the comics, this is actually Raven's alter-ego after being resurrected. She used the name Rachel Roth to attend college. Sorry if I didn't properly introduce her as Raven...

Gotham University - made this name up )

ROSES, ROSES, ROSES - As you can see roses were everywhere...From start to end...I used roses to fit the song...

Anyway, there's more updates to come, which are dedicated to the likes of **alena-chan, Chai Chi, Mussayyy, etc.**

For every update/new chapter, there's a special dedication...

Thanks for reading, hope you liked it.

God Bless,

Kiki


	5. 772

Kiki's back!

I sorta borrowed the plotline from Friends, the episode where Brad Pittwas the guest star...

Dedicated to **alena-chan.**

**I don't own Teen Titans.**

**I don't own Friends. (including the plotline)**

**Chapter 5: 772**

"**Silence is safe. That much he knew."**

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

772 paces.

He counted the steps he had to walk from his bed-sitter to his destination.

772 minutes.

It's been more than 12 hours since he ran into a familiar face at the supermarket, who happened to invite him over for dinner tonight.

772.

The golden numerals engraved on the outside of an old friend's apartment seemed to stare at him, and he gazed at them long enough to ignore the fact that knocking on the door might be the biggest mistake of his life.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Seven years simply made the difference.

Roy Harper stared at the couple sitting across him from the table.

Tara Markov, the chick whose aviator glasses and leather boots alone were the definition of _cool_, just got engaged to the manifestation of pain and annoyance in the form of the biggest prankster in the history of Jump City High a.k.a Garfield Logan?

"After all this time, you guys haven't changed that much, except pretty much the fact that you two are together," the redhead quipped, eyes glinted emerald, matching the color of his long sleeved polo. This earned sheepish grins from the two blondes.

"Funny, isn't it? Tara's a fashion designer and Gar's a vet. They certainly lived up to their reputation from the good old days," The flat's owner sat in an empty chair next to Roy and gave him a high five, "What do you do Speedy?"

He flinched a little at the mention of his nickname back in high school, nevertheless replied with a grin, "Freelance disc jockey. And by the way _Robin_, nice crib."

"Thanks, woops, there's the soufflé," The man watched as Richard Grayson, Jump City High's perfect student, rushed to the oven behind them as the _kring!_ interrupted the foursome's conversation.

And he took this opportunity to survey the apartment. One year of his salary certainly couldn't afford a place like this.

This was more luxurious than an apartment, per se, this had to be some sort of a condominium for the CEO of Wayne Industries – the biggest entertainment system in a living room; the kitchen looked like Wolfgang Puck himself could have the time of his life whipping up a meal for kings; beside it was the dining room graced with the view of the city's bay from a glass wall; and the furniture looked like art pieces from a gallery, abstract beauty was almost tangible in the air, along with the life the indigo walls. He even tilted his head a bit to get a better view of the loft, which he assumed was Richard's bedroom.

"Sweet!" Garfield's scratchy voice brought him back to reality, as he saw his best friend serve Peking Duck, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, and some pastries. Seeing the food almost made him feel like he was in a five-star restaurant.

A certain blonde with green streaks in his hair seemed to think so too, as he was about to grab the ice cream cake and pies at the same time.

Roy beamed in satisfaction when Tara slapped her fiancée's away while straightening the chopsticks holding her hair in two buns, whose highlights accented her spaghetti strap top.

"Gar, wait 'til Raven gets here!"

"R-raven?" His smile faded away at the mention of the name that haunted him since middle school.

"Uh-oh," he heard the couple mutter under their breath as Richard immediately sat down beside him, removing an apron before straightening his dress shirt and slacks.

"I'm so sorry Roy, I forgot about the whole you-know-who incident," the dark haired man said softly, "It's just that she lives next door to me, and we happen to be very good friends now."

'I think you mean more than – " Gar started, but Tara's hand clamped his mouth shut, and a knock on the door made Roy ignore what the other man was about to say.

A woman let herself in, taking off a black overcoat to reveal jeans paired with a tank top seen through her plum colored peasant blouse, which seemed to match the streaks in layers of shoulder length jet black hair.

She was about to make her way towards the table the group was sitting in, yet she stopped in her tracks when she saw the last person she was expecting to see – and by the look on her face, her least favorite person in the world too.

"So ehem, _Roy Harper_ is the 'old friend' you were referring to, huh Rich?" She held her posture and looked like she was straightening her back when she made her statement. Her face held no expression yet the cool and collected tone her voice managed to give him the impression that she was still the kick-ass man eater not only the class of 1999 but the entire Jump City High, perhaps even the next generation, came to know.

"_Raven Roth._ Nice look for someone, I mean, _something_, who escaped from a bounty hunter that held you – _it – _after all these years," Roy managed to return the same disgusted emphasis, the same way she did when she gritted his name.

"Well, we're just one big happy circle of friends, now are we?" Richard got up and led the petite female to a seat that was farthest to the redhead.

"Now that _this creature_ is here, the circle transformed itself into a semicircle, ya' know, 'coz all the evil practically sent the other half to oblivion," Roy looked down on his plate, and fidgeted with his napkin when Tara and Gar started send him glares that screamed _"This is your best friend's home for Pete's sake, get over your grudge and mind your manners…"_

"Sorry I'm late, I had to run a few errands on the way home – " Raven spoke from the end of the oblong shaped table, and seemed to admire the way the red candles and rose petals accented the mahogany finish on the top; but was cut off when a certain male suddenly stood up and stared at her square in the eye.

"Errands huh? Always having all the time in the world to spare for yourself, huh?" He delivered hotly, earning all eyes on him as he finished off with a mockery of what appeared to be a hair flip, "So typical of Raven Roth."

His object of dislike said nothing, but looked up, amethyst eyes unreadable as she took a sip from her wine glass. The man beside him was the one who reacted by facing him, "Roy, what the hell is your problem? High school was so long ago, can't you forget about all of it and bury the hatchet?"

'Dick, knowing her, she'd hit me with the hatchet before she'll agree to bury it!" When he scowled at her, she suddenly stood up and banged her fists on the table. The motion could have measured more than a 3 on the Richter Scale, because the blonde couple happened to retreat to the couch, all the way to the other side of the room.

"I'll bury the hatchet right after I bury you alive!" Raven raised her voice, and he could have sworn there was a vein rearing its ugly head on one side of her temple.

"Shut up!" Richard yelled, then turned to him, "Please Roy, calm down."

"And you're defending her?"

"The jury will think so too," she wrinkled her nose in ridicule. The sneer that formed on her features wasn't about to make him give up easily.

"Humph. Just so you know, while you had dozens of groupies all over the campus back then, there was a group of students who didn't think you were all that – smart, cunning, and able-bodied people whose lives you ruined, Raven Roth!" The twenty-nine-year-old pointed an accusing finger at the pale-skinned woman, who nonchalantly countered with, "And what? Those idiots formed a _I Hate Raven Roth Club_? Humor me, will you?"

"Exactly, for the record, why else would the _I Hate Raven Roth Club_ be so idiotic," He smirked in victory as he placed an arm around Richard's shoulder, "When Mr. Grayson, class valedictorian, was co-founder?"

The shock on her face was so priceless, especially when she darted towards Richard, grabbed him by the collar, and seethed, "You had a club, then after all these years you didn't even tell me?"

"Rae, high school was a million years ago, okay? There's nothing to worry about," Richard gently yanked his shirt , then took hold of her hands. When he started looking at her the way the an actor would with his leading lady in romantic movies, Roy quickly coughed, "Then why did our pact had the word 'eternity' in it?"

Raven pulled away, then folded her arms across her chest and looked down on the beige carpet, while the blue-eyed man scratched his gelled hair in disarray.

Roy plopped down on his seat and leaned back in surrender, though he wasn't really sure he should apologize, especially with someone like Raven Roth around. "Look, Dick, sorry, okay? But really, whose side are you on?"

"Roy, you can't make me choose between my best friend and my – "

"Yeah, sure, like you did when you entered that Vanilla Ice look-alike contest and won?"

"It was for charity! Besides, you came in fourth and cried!"

"We were freshmen back then, all right?" He gestured anxiously in an attempt to defend himself, then diverted the slur to a snickering Raven, "And what about you? You may not be aware of it long ago, but you were the butt of every joke in our club so quit it!"

"How can you expect somebody else to be the laughing stock of the _I Hate Raven Roth Club_? Don't tell me Jinx, Gizmo, Mammoth, Kitten, and other losers like them were actually stupid enough to join your little club."

"Hey! Jennifer may be clumsy sometimes, but she's not a jinx! Gideon happens to very articulate when it comes to computers and just because Marcus happens to be older than the grade level he's supposed to be in doesn't make him good enough to be compared to large hairy extinct elephant !"

"And Kitten?" She leered, as he saw Richard shudder slightly behind her.

"What? The only A's she have are the ones her dad can afford…At least she was a good circulation manager."

"Excuse me?"

Roy laughed out loud, pools of jade green resembled the eyes of a predator that just caught its prey. "Remember that rumor, Dick? That one was the best!"

"Rich?" She grimaced, bringing her face closer to Richard's.

"Well?" She was virtually torturing him with dagger looks, when Roy declared as-a-matter-of-factly, "We spread a little story that you had plastic surgery…"

"And?" She narrowed her eyes when she faced him, yet stood her ground, anticipation being reflected in her features. He pushed back air above his head, feeling the coarseness of his buzz cut, and finally pointed to his chest area.

"Oh my god!" She rubbed her temples, falling back on her chair. He had to admit, he wasn't sure that he was happy to see her like this – unkempt hair, flushed cheeks, and breathing heavily like she was just mugged.

"It's not so bad, Rae. It earned you ten times more than the number of admirers before that. It's just a rumor…" Richard was by her side in a heartbeat, patting her on the back.

"I guess having big fake breasts isn't as bad as making out with Mrs. Cooper, huh Rich?" The Raven Roth sneer was back on her face, and this caused Richard to step back, saying, "How did you now that?"

"Jeez Louis! Mrs. Cooper the librarian the Pushover Cooper? Whoa," Tara put her hands on her waist, while Gar closed his eyes and mouthed, "Ewe!"

"It's true?" He heard himself say, addressing Richard cockily, and when the spiky haired male was about to retort, Raven exclaimed, "Puh-leeze. I saw the two of you going at it behind the card catalogs."

"Hey! For a 56-year-old widow she wasn't that wrinkly! In fact, Mrs. Cooper was very gentle – ehem, may she rest in peace," Richard was trying his best to not let his guard his down, however she raised a perfectly arched eyebrow, then crossed and uncrossed her legs.

A click of her tongue, after that, "You could have come up with a better excuse like 'I was drunk!' but, congratulations, you did a great job of embarrassing yourself."

With this, Roy rested an elbow on the table and poured himself some wine. "This ought to be interesting," he whispered, barely audible for the others to hear.

"What did I ever do to you, huh Rae?" It was obvious that Richard was so desperate, he even kneeled in front of her pleading.

Raven sighed, "Well, when I found out your grades were a bit higher than mine, I guess I got kind of carried away when I swore that I'd get back at you…"

"Oh, well I'm sure that…Wait a minute, as a consequence of that rumor Kori Anders broke up with me!"

"Don't blame me if your ex was dumb enough to believe everything she hears!"

"It was your fault, woman! I couldn't even find a prom date the last minute because of you!"

"Pfft. Well at the end of then night you were crowned Prom King."

"And I had to dance with Kitten Moth!"

"Stop acting like I'm the only perpetrator here! Because of your rumor I almost got sexually harassed, more than once!"

"Almost Rae, almost. You even got detention for beating the crap out of the likes of Adonis and Johnny Rancid!"

"It. Was. Self-defense!"

"That's it! I'm back in the club!"

No sooner had Richard said this Roy rose from his seat and screamed in triumph, "Booyah!"

As he gave the shorter man a high five, Raven was gritting her teeth. And in the fraction of a second she was on her feet, straightening her blouse, "I don't know what the hell you two are trying to prove, immature jerks like you ought to know that – "

What she was about to say was cut off when a pie was thrown at her. The cream was covering her glower, and everyone in the room sensed that she was about to turn herself into a one-woman reign of misery and mayhem.

And she did, obviously, when she took hold of the ice cream cake and flung it towards Roy, who was fast enough to duck. Turns out, the chiffons layers with vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate ice cream hit Richard's face instead.

She immediately became the target of the newly formed _I Hate Raven Roth Club_, but when the Peking Duck hit a certain blonde square in the chest, a shrill voice stopped the food fight.

"What is the matter with you?"

All of them, Gar included, looked up to see Tara fuming, "Roy, quit bitching. Another wrong move and I swear I'll kick your ass all the way to kingdom come!" Her sapphire orbs compelled him to sit down, the other to following the gesture, just in time for the woman to make her way in front of the trio.

"Come on, high school was so long ago. Could you stop harboring old grudges?

"Dick, even with that rumor you were still the most popular guy, girls wanted to be with you, and boys wanted to be you!

"Rae, some fake plastic surgery story didn't stop the entire student body from being afraid of you, you're the one and only kick-ass babe the school has ever known!

"Besides, Pushover Coop – I mean, Mrs. Cooper did look like she might have been Playboy material when she was younger, and those losers could have seen it coming that you'd rid them of their reproductive capabilities when they tried to hit on you…"

"Seriously dudes, are you just gonna throw away everything that's happened between the two of you over something that happened seven years?" Gar emerged from behind the couch and was now beside his fiancée.

Roy forced himself not to flinch when Raven's features suddenly softened as she took Richard's hands in hers. "They're right, Rich."

"Rae, you know the only reason I joined – "

"Co-founded," the green-eyed man supplied, but his best friend ignored whatever it was.

" – That club was because I was in love with you."

Hearing those words made Roy chew the inside of his cheek, hard enough to draw blood, because he knew that, apart from refusing to reveal the reason of his 'hatred' towards Raven, Richard spoke the line that was reserved for _him_.

Still, he continued to focus on the 'couple' in front of him.

"Well, we are getting married," Raven said softly and this was the first time he even saw her smile. And if it wasn't for that he wouldn't have paused.

Did he even hear her right?

"M-married?"

"Two months from now."

He felt her eyes on him, but he looked away when Richard drew her closer, "Sorry I forgot to tell you, I guess we all just caught up in the commotion. Hope it's cool."

Roy forced himself to smile. Silence is safe. That much he knew.

He wasn't even sure which was harder, going through the rest of dinner with ice cream down his pants, or accepting the fact that Raven Roth was going to be Mrs. Richard Grayson in a matter of time.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

772 steps.

He had to drag himself all the way down, back to his bed-sitter.

772 seconds.

Only 13 minutes to go before he'll have to burn all of the photographs of _her,_ that he kept after all these years.

772 .

He had plenty of chances back then, but he chose to keep this secret from his best friend . He couldn't even remember how many times he failed to tell her he loved her.

Roy Harper closed the door behind him and leaned against it, hanging his head in defeat.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Phew...not exactly my best one, but I think it's all right...What does y'all think?

Anyway, a few keypoints:

772 - consistency's a style. Reading the story for a second time made me realize that using this technique was a bit corny, but imma let you guys decide.

plotline - 'Friends' fanatics may recognize the plot as the one where Brad Pitt guest stars as Will, a high school friend of the gang, co-founder of the I Hate Rachel Green Club, alongside Ross. I decided to tweak it a bit by putting the one-sided RaeSpeedy twist. Besides, the "love triangle" works well for my dedication to **alena-chan.**

TerraBB - my favorite couple next to RaeRob. Don't ask, I think they look cute together.

Tara Markov - reliable sources say did was her original name from the comics...this is an AU story, after all...Plus I love the idea of her being the cool high school girl who later turns out to be a fashion designer.

Garfield Logan - I just decided to let him have green highlights in his blonde hair, he's a vet, so it's self-explanatory enoughbecause BeastBoy turns into animals...

Jump City High - cliche, I know.

Roy Harper - freelance DJ? I'm weird, so just let it be...

Speedy, Robin nicknames - I apologize if I used this without actually telling why they were called that back in high school

Wayne Industries CEO - another cliche. Richard Grayson after all, is the foster son of millionaire Bruce Wayne, and of course, being the perfect student of Jump City High makes him that cocky.

RaeRob - You might have noticed the others call Richard "Dick," but when it comes to Rae, she calls him "Rich"

I Hate Raven Roth Club - Rae's kick-ass, no doubt. I just thought that it was funny when Will and Ross had their I Hate Rachel Green Club.

Kori Anders - yes, ex-girlfriend of Richard. I mentioned her to add to the tension.

Prom King/Queen - that Date with Destiny episode with a twist, just thought I'd add humor

Pushover Cooper - another one from that Friends ep.

So what you guys think?

Again, I apologize if the updates are a bit slow, I don't have internet access back at home...

Anyway, watch out for the following:

**Make the Fireflies Dance - **chapters 2 and 3 to be dedicated to **ChaiChi **and **Tecna**

**Catch a Falling Star** - chapter to dedicated to Cherished18

More to come for my other favorite authors, reviewers, and readers...

Thanks for reading.

God bless,

Kiki


	6. AUTHOR'S NOTE

This isn't a new chapter as you can see, coz take note, the title's "Take 5," so...

Anyway, I just want to let my readers know that yes, indeed the hiatus is over, but classes here in the Philippines start at June 13,

and

sad to say, this month marks the end of summer.

But I intend to keep my promise of updating and posting new stories, and especially dedicating this to my favorite authors,

reviewers, and readers.

Updating soon:

**Make the Fireflies Dance** (chapters 2 and 3) - an AU story about our favorite Titans going to a school Halloween Party. RaeRob,

obviously, and just to recall, Rae went as a gypsy, Rob as Zorro/Robin, Star is "tickled pink," BB's a werewolf, Cy's a robot, and

Speedy as Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde...

**Catch a Falling Star** (chapter 2) - find out what happens after Richard says Raven's name while making his vows when he was

supposed to be marrying Kory...

**Haunted by Desire **(chapter 4 and 5) - sexual tension arises betweeen the two birds while they're getting closer to solving the

mystery of the Halloween murders, one of the ghosts make an appearance...

And some new fics too:

**Night's Plutonian Shore** - Prince Richard is on his way to the land of Tamaran to marry Princess Koriander to stop a war between

Azarath and Star's kingdom. A band of thieves, misfits, and outcasts led by Raven become his bodyguards...

**Gemini's Dreaming** - A sort of AU version of the season four arc. After his girlfriend's mysterious "suicide" Richard is forced to live

with a young woman calling herself Raven, who is apparently linked somehow to the prophecy, Richard's being the "chosen one,"

and Kory's death.

**(Untitled)** - also known as "**Why RaeRob Has a Chance**," it's a collection of one-shots that can give reasons, and also justice, to

the coupling of Raven and Robin.

Well, I'll try my best to not eat my words, but I assure you, I have all the intentions of fulfilling what I mentioned above.

And since "**Take 5**" was the first chaptered story I ever finished, this would serve as my motivation when I'm writing stories dedicated

to the following:

**Mussayyy**

**Laereryn**

**Tecna**

**alena-chan**

**Mind Shadow**

**ChaiChi**

**Cherry Jade**

**Cherished18**

**Queen Rae**

**a Raven's last song**

**reallyravenroth**

**watergoddess08**

**totallyrae**

**Val-Creative**

**RobRae5000**

**...and others who have been supportive of me all the way...**

I apologize in advance if the updates will be late, I don't have internet access at home, so I try my best to visit an Internet Cafe once

in a while, if I have the time and money...

**Anyway, thanks so much for reading...**

**More power to RaeRob!**

**God Bless,**

**Kiki**


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